Crayfish–rice integrated system of production: an agriculture success story in China. A review

Abstract

Chinese agriculture is seeking a sustainable production increase in order to solve the food problem for its population. The traditional “high input, high pollution” agricultural production mode has led to a large burden on resources and on the environment. At present, China is promoting the transformation of its agricultural production modes in the direction of resource conservation and green development. In recent years, the crayfish–rice integrated system of production (CRISP) has been developed intensively in China due to its important economic benefits. Evaluating this new agricultural model comprehensively and guiding the related green sustainable development are urgent issues. Here, we used statistical data and literature to review the origin and development of CRISP in China and to compare the Chinese CRISP with similar models in other parts of the world. We reviewed studies on the ecological and social effects of CRISP for its objective evaluation and drew three main findings. First, although the crayfish initially introduced were sourced from the USA, the extensive application of CRISP led China to rapidly become the largest crayfish producer worldwide — accounting for over 90% of the crayfish production — and a leader in crayfish processing and catering industries. Second, the specific Chinese CRISP culture model promotes a green transformation towards a high-quality rice production system. Finally, CRISP affected positively soil quality, water and nutrient recycling, pest limitation, and biodiversity development in the paddy field system. CRISP reveals a good example of the effective application of green revolution in China’s agricultural production. We analyze for the first time the specific ecological foundation and management model for the sustainable development of CRISP. These observations provide a reference for the development of other agriculture–livestock integrated systems worldwide.